Following a meeting at the headquarters of their German counterparts in
Frankfurt, the Football Association of Ireland announced that agreement
has been reached over their fixture schedule.

Manager Giovanni Trapattoni, who this week guided his side to the Euro 2012
finals after a play-off victory over Estonia, said: "This is a good fixture
schedule for our team with a good balance to the matches.

"We finish the campaign at home and start with a single away match against
Kazakhstan, which was important given the long distances involved.

"I am also happy with the balance obtained in the double-headers and the
timing of what we would expect to be some of the key matches in the group.''

Ireland will open their Group C campaign in Kazakhstan on September 7 next
year, and then welcome favourites Germany to the Aviva Stadium in the first game
of a double-header which includes a trip to meet the Faroe Islands the following
month.

They will face Sweden away and Austria at home in March 2013, and the Faroes
will head for Dublin on June 7.

Ireland will host the Swedes on September 6 before travelling to Austria four
days later, but will end the campaign with a trip to Germany and the return
fixture with the Kazakhs at the Aviva in October.